Written by: INcontext International
Article source: www.incontextinternational.org

On Monday 1 August, the Sierra-Leone flagged ship, Razoni, left the port of Odesa heading to Lebanon filled with grain. The ship is one of sixteen loaded and set to depart Ukraine, in hopes of easing a global food crisis created by the war.

The deal brokered by Türkiye and the UN has been met with cautious optimism. Both Türkiye and the UN have voiced the hope that this deal could pave the way for future peace talks. This marks the first time in the five months of the offensive that some common ground could be successfully attained by Russia and Ukraine.

The agreement to allow agricultural ships to leave Odesa has been mired by political issues. A day after signing the deal, Russia sent rockets into Odesa, damaging infrastructure. However, the deal held and Ukraine went ahead with shipping the grain on Monday. Alongside the hope this grain shipment brings, is the reality of an ever-changing war.

Russia and Ukraine are blaming each other for killing dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) at a detention centre in Russian-controlled territory. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been seeking access to the POWs, which it says has not been granted. Moscow has stated that the ICRC has been invited to attend to the POWs in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

Russia has also made it clear, during their Navy Day Parade, that Russia aims to become a naval superpower. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a 55-page naval doctrine that seeks to extend Russia’s influence as a “great maritime power” to the entire world. In the same speech, Mr Putin touted a missile technology that allows missiles to reach speeds nine times greater than the speed of sound. This significantly increases both their speed and aim at much greater distances.

FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

± 43.3 MILLION73% CHRISTIAN

3.6% EVANGELICAL

28 UNREACHED GROUPS (1.1% of pop.)

± 144.6 MILLION57.6% CHRISTIAN

1.46% EVANGELICAL

117 UNREACHED GROUPS (12.1% of pop.)

Although the war in Ukraine is still ongoing, there is a glimmer of hope that peace talks through a third party could be possible. In Matthew 5:7 Jesus says: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God”.

This idea of being a peacemaker is, however, not a passive action, but rather a deliberate act of initiating peace by working to break down walls between people. A peacemaker is a person who will work to bring to light issues that cause disunity and division. In this season, we must pray for the Church in Ukraine and Russia as they seek to bring unity to the people of both countries. Both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have asked President Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

A letter drafted by Russian Orthodox clergy in May speaks of the “gulf that our children and grandchildren will have to bridge in order to love and respect one another again”. The letter with 293 signatures by clergy calling themselves the Russian Priests for Peace signifies a desire for peace by mainstream churches from both countries.

Please pray with us for the following:

  • For God to continue to raise up world leaders to act as peacemakers between Russia and Ukraine, and faith leaders to encourage peace, unity, and forgiveness at all levels
  • For Christians to remain faithful despite the difficult circumstances
  • For every church to be a beacon of light to their region affected by war

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Date published: 08/08/2022
Feature image: www.incontextinternational.org

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